Electrical contact elements, connectors and assemblies

Abstract

An electrical connector for surface mounting on a printed circuit board has a rectangular plastics housing with two rows of contact pins. The pins are each in the form of a turned metal wire of circular section having an enlarged spherical knob at its rear end. Each pin extends parallel to the base of the housing, having its rear end bent downwards so that, in its natural state, the knob lies below the housing. When mounted on the circuit board, each knob is resiliently urged into contact with a respective printed contact pad on the board and is secured thereto by solder. The forward end of each pin provides a male member that makes connection in a socket in a cooperating connector.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. An electrical connector assembly comprising an electrical connector and a circuit board, the said connector including a housing mounted on one surface of said circuit board and at least one electrical contact element having one end supported in said housing, the said contact element projecting from said housing and comprising a metal wire of substantially circular cross-section along the major part of its length projecting from said housing, said contact element having an enlarged portion of substantially spherical shape at its other end, and the said circuit board having one or more respective substantially flat electrical contact pads on said one surface, each said respective contact pad being contacted by and soldered to the said enlarged portion at the other end of the or each contact element. 
     
     
       2. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein a part of the contact element extends parallel to said surface, and wherein the said other end of the contact element is bent towards said surface. 
     
     
       3. In an electrical contact assembly of the kind comprising an electrically-insulative member mounted on a surface, an electrical contact element supported at one end by said electrically-insulative member, and a substantially flat contact pad mounted on said surface, the other end of said contact element being joined with said contact pad by means of an electrically-conductive settable joint material, the improvement wherein said contact element is in the form of a wire projecting from said electrically-insulative member, the major part of the length of said wire projecting from said electrically-insulative member being of substantially constant circular cross-section, the said length of wire being terminated at its said other end by an enlarged portion of substantially spherical shape, and the said enlarged portion being secured to said contact pad by said settable, electrically-conductive joint material so as thereby to establish electrical connection of said contact element with said contact pad. 
     
     
       4. An electrical contact element according to claim 3, wherein the enlarged portion is substantially twice the diameter of the remainder of the wire. 
     
     
       5. An electrical contact element according to claim 3, wherein the wire is bent along its length. 
     
     
       6. An electrical contact element according to claim 3, wherein the contact element is made by a turning process. 
     
     
       7. In a surface-mounted electrical connector of the kind comprising an electrically-insulative housing mounted on a surface, at least one electrical contact element supported at one end by said electrically-insulative housing, and a substantially flat contact pad mounted on said surface, the other end of said contact element being joined with said contact pad by means of an electrically-conductive settable joint material, the improvement wherein said contact element is in the form of a metal wire projecting from said housing, the major part of the length of the wire projecting from said housing being of substantially circular cross section, the said length of wire being terminated at its said other end by an enlarged portion of substantially spherical shape, and the said enlarged portion of the contact element being secured to said contact pad by said settable, electrically-conductive joint material so as thereby to establish electrical connection of said contact element with said contact pad. 
     
     
       8. An electrical connector according to claim 7 wherein a part of the contact element extends parallel to said surface, and wherein the said other end of the contact element is bent towards said surface. 
     
     
       9. An electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein in its natural state, the said other end of the contact element projects below the surface. 
     
     
       10. An electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein the one end of said contact element is formed as a male member that is shaped for engagement within a socket in a cooperating female connector.